How to Beat Theft Charges
A theft charge in Georgia is a serious crime, one that has become very common in the Savannah area. Judges are especially harsh when it comes to punishing those found guilty of a theft offense. If you are charged with a theft crime, you need an aggressive attorney who knows how to beat it.
Potential Defenses
One of the most effective defenses to a theft charge—theft by receiving charge—is that you did not know and could not reasonably have known that an item was stolen property. For example, if a friend gave you an ATV and you kept it without knowing that your friend had stolen it, you would not be guilty of theft by receiving. However, if the ATV had any indicators that suggested it could be stolen (such as a defaced serial number), you could be charged with theft by receiving. Proving that there was no way that you could have known that an item was stolen is one of the only ways to beat such a theft charge.
Another effective defense is a double jeopardy argument. Often, a person can be charged with theft by taking in one jurisdiction and theft by receiving in another, even if it is the same item that was stolen in both cases. This can make for an especially complicated case, but a good attorney can get the charges consolidated or dropped by arguing that the prosecution should be barred against bringing the charges due to a double jeopardy issue.
A theft charge is a serious matter, and you need serious representation to help you. Give us a call today to learn how we can help.